Dom na Mirni gori - Mirna gora (all thousanders in Bela krajina)

Access to starting point:
Forest road Vrčice - Dom na Mirni gori. Approx 10 km.

Path description:
Bela krajina is a hilly landscape in southeast Slovenia, nestled between Gorjanci and the vast forests of Kočevski Rog. On its border, towards Kočevje, there are also several hills, eight of which exceed 1000 meters in height. And these unique Belokranjski thousanders were our destination. The role of Kočevski Rog is well-known to many from the period of the National Liberation Struggle, but the history of Kočevje before World War II, when the »Kočevarji« lived there for 600 years, is far less known. The life of Kočevje’s residents, who preserved their customs and German language for 600 years, is vividly described in Rose Mohar’s book »Here They Lived«. In short, when you walk through forests filled with remnants of villages abandoned in 1941 and traces from the war period, you feel as though you’re entering a sacred space, where every step is accompanied by trees, especially the enormous trees growing in the Kopa virgin forest.
Our journey began on Saturday morning at the Planinski dom Mirna gora, from where it’s only a few minutes’ walk to the summit of Mirna gora, which, at 1047 meters, is considered by many to be the highest Belokranjski hill. In reality, it is only the fourth highest. Its closest neighbor, just 20 minutes away, Kovačev hrib, is higher at 1051 meters. We continued our path southward, soon crossing a road towards Ponikve, where we encountered the blazes of the Shepherd’s Path around Mirna gora. Alongside the blazes of the Shepherd’s Path are those of the Path of Partisan Hospitals, which we followed towards the Kremen hospital, continuing from there towards the dr. Mihelčič hospital. We crossed one of the countless forest paths again and oriented ourselves towards Lochpichl or Golobinjek, which stands at 1036 meters. Before the hill, we saw the remnants of the Kočevarska church of St. Ulrich in Starološki grič. To the right below us lies a large forest clearing, Golobinjek, where remnants of an old village remain. To the left, we could see towards Brezovica and Kočevje. We continued walking towards Kroglinšek, which is 1052 meters high. From there, we could see the peaks we had already traversed and all our next destinations, while in the distance, Trdinov vrh rises above all, the highest peak, though it does not belong to Bela krajina. From Kroglinšek, we headed west, beginning to ascend towards Kopa, which, at 1077 meters, is the true highest peak of Bela krajina. On Kopa lies the protected Kopa virgin forest, where nature follows its eternal cycle of birth and death without human intervention. The entire ridge of Kroglinšek and Kopa runs westward, ending at an unnamed summit with a height of 1025 meters. Here, our path back towards Mirna gora began, as we descended into the valley on the right. A good landmark is the TC Gače ski slope, which we could see on our left. Walking through rough terrain, we reached the vast forest clearing of Ponikve, where we saw remnants of the former village of German name, Sporeben (blooming meadow). At the start of the war, the village had eight houses, the Church of the Holy Trinity, and a steam sawmill. Today, only remnants remain, overgrown by the forest, but they are nicely marked with a restored village water catchment. We left the village of Ponikve, passing the remnants of the sawmill, and ascended to Vinica, which, at 1020 meters, is one of the closer neighbors of Mirna gora. The peak is rocky but not difficult. Descending from the peak, we reached the marked path from Komarna vas to Mirna gora and arrived at the Kočevje village of Pogorelec, which was abandoned before World War I due to poor living conditions. In its place stands a memorial. We continued eastward to Škrilje, which, at 1012 meters, is the lowest thousander. From there, we could see the villages at its base. From Škrilje, we could head to the abandoned village of Skrilj and then follow the marked path to the Dom na Mirni gori.
All named peaks, thanks to the Tempoo association from Semič, are marked with a sign. And so, our hiking and historical loop through all the Belokranjski thousanders concluded in 7 hours and over 24 kilometers. Orientation in autumn is not demanding, and the Kočevsko map is useful. And, of course, a warning. You are in an area inhabited by wild animals, as bears, wolves, and lynxes live there, along with, of course, many friendlier animals.

On the way: Mirna gora (1047m), Kovačev hrib (1051m), Golobinjek (1036m), Kroglinšek (1052m), Kopa (1077m), Kota 1025 (1025m), Vinica (1020m), Škrilje (1012m)